PP a m95 8x56r?

[inspector_17]

Young man I work with wants to reload his ammo. Doesn't want to start casting at this time. I haven't slugged the bore. I have never done it and dont want to screw up somebody else's rifle. He couldn't find 329 j words. Best he could find was 323. Would pp'ing the j words up to 329 - 330 work?
Thanks

[barrabruce]

Probably.
using jacketed bullets sized to bore diameter works when pp up to groove diameter plus a thou or two.
You have to put a knurl on the bullet first with a file to get the paper to grip properly.
Roll the bullet under a file back and forth.
first it would be best to find the real groove and bore diameter of the rifle .
A small clean ball sinker would work pretty well.
either from the breach or muzzle end.
Use a thick cleaning rod with an old jag cut off short and filed flat to protect the threads.
Put some tape on the rod every 4-6 inches so it keeps the rod centered in the bore.
oil the bore.
place slightly larger sinker in bore and tap the cleaning with your hand or hammer.
A short peice of wood dowel or such should make a short starter like a muzzle loader easier.
Once the ball is engraved the slug should be able to be pressed though with the cleaning rod with firm pressure all the way.(ideal)
Reality you may find a loose bit and a tight bit or two as you push the rod down the bore.put hand over muzzle and collect ball with engraving to be measured.
Clean gun as normal and the proceed accordingly.

Hope this helps.
Barra

[barrabruce]

if you could pull some of those 8mm bullets and load something 3 grains of bulleye and catch the bullet in some soft sand.
You could measure the bore and groove of that
you would have to read up abit on what load you would need to exit the bore and not get it stuck in there.
Being a jword it would be hard to get out.
and may need a gun plumbers assistance then.

[dnepr]

Like many milsurps the bore diameter varies on the m95s mine is .316x.330 , they also generally have generous throat dimensions , I have heard of bores as large as .335 , if he has a generous throat and bore .338 boolits sized down a bit may be the way to go

[303Guy]

Like many milsurps the bore diameter varies on the m95s mine is .316x.330 , they also generally have generous throat dimensions , I have heard of bores as large as .335 , if he has a generous throat and bore .338 boolits sized down a bit may be the way to go
Maybe even not sized down? With free-bore or at least a loose throat in which there is some bullet jump, it might be OK (reducing powder charges some to compensate). I shoot .224 bullets in my .223 groove hornet. The throat is still loose. Don't go suggesting that to an inexperienced reloader!

But here is the trick, I seat the bullet in the unsized case mouth using soft paper - paper hand towel actually. All that does is hold the bullet and align it with the bore. That same principle may well work with available .232 bullets. I do increase the grip on the bullet by soaking the down turned bullet and neck in molten 'waxy-lube'. This holds the bullet firmly and lubes the bore consistently from shot to shot. Never had any copper fouling. I have tried this in a 303 Brit but results were mediocre, possibly due to too little bullet grip. I didn't try a faster powder or heavier bullet.

I was given some .308 moly bullets and have ideas of paper patching them for a 303 Brit. They were given to me because they didn't shoot well or perform well in a 308 Winchester. I have doubts about them working in a 303 because they are boat tails, never mind the poor throat fit. To my mind it is the poor throat fit that is the issue. If an undersize bullet can be delivered concentrically into the throat and bore then it should not matter whether the bullet is only engaging the rifling lands with a clearance in the grooves. There was a case of someone attempting to magmatize a 270 Winchester by having the grooves cut deeper. He claimed he was able to increase the performance considerably. The idea that the gas bleed off would allow for more powder charge and that's what he did. He didn't measure chamber pressure so maybe all he was doing was running it at higher pressure but he said pressure indications were normal.

[Buckshot]

...............The barrel dimensions of the Austrian/Hungarian Straight pulls in 8x56R can vary a considerable amount (Thousandths mean a lot with cast or paper patching). The jacketed bullet called for is of .329" OD. In these rifles/carbines the bore generally hover right around .316", but the groove measurement from rifle to rifle can be a real eye opener. Add to that some usually generous throats. Without slugging the barrel to find out what you REALLY are dealing with can add up to considerable time and effort loading ammo whose only real result is making noise.

I currently have two M95's. A carbine and a stutzen (similar is size, differing only in details). Both are in very good to excellent condition.

http://www.fototime.com/00C73BAA827D746/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/749F5ACFFD11D67/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/64017608D111BD0/standard.jpghttp://www.fototime.com/E778538DEBD1379/standard.jpg

The above are photo's of the Carbine. The bore & groove of the carbine is: .316"/.334" with a throat and chamber that will swallow a case holding a lube sized slug @ .338". The Stutzen's barrel measurements are: .315"/.3315" and it will also swallow the same cartridge with a .338" slug.

Years ago when these rifles were common and plentiful here at Cast Boolits there was a lot of work done in trying to gin up a special order boolit mould, so barrel slug info was requested. A few (VERY few) reported grooves of .330". I don't recall offhand one at .329". As mentioned the bores were fairly reliable at .315" to .316". So, a few minutes spent in generating a barrel slug will definitely be an asset in paper patching up jacketed slugs.

BTW, there aren't any issues with the action, other then a sucky trigger :-) I'd bought a M95 with a truly horrid barrel. I had it re-barreled and chambered to 30-40 Krag.

http://www.fototime.com/3F99F55C9811736/standard.jpg

It's an absolutely fine shooter with book 30-40 jacketed loads, so no flies on the action.

.................Buckshot

[Cheshire Dave]

Love that 30-40 sporter you made. With the peep sight and straight pull it must be a great hunting rifle. I might have to look for one now. You are a bad influence on us all Buckshot.

[John F.]

Graf and sons in Mexico, MO import the proper diameter bullets and brass for the 8x56R. Many of these rifles have significantly pitted bores, so I'd be sure to clean his THOROUGHLY and see what there is to work with.

Hope this helps,
John

[Buckshot]

..............Well, when you consider a 205gr slug from a 19.5" barrel scoots along at 2400 fps it's nothing to sneeze at. But on the other hand if you can't hit a one gallon paint can at 50 yards it's not such a butt kicker after all, eh? :-)

................Buckshot